Secret in the Circle
by Dwynwyn
Summary: A day no one will forget. A well kept secret. Were did she come from? Is she a gift or a curse?
1. Chapter 1

_Hello everyone! This will be my first proper fanfiction :) This story is taken place during Dragon Age Origin in the Circle of Magi. But in this story you will not follow the one who will become Warden but a character of my own creation; Hope. I hope you will enjoy it and please write reviews! Both ideas and comments are welcome :)_

**Chapter 1**

No one would forget that day. That day were to be kept a secret, the biggest secret. Nobody outside the few selected who were there, were to know what happened. That day had been as any other day in the Circle Tower in Ferelden, as normal as a day could be involving mages and templars. But the day was about to change in a most peculiar way.

A Harrowing took place. A promising young mage apprentice were now taking her first steps in to becoming a real mage. But first she had to pass the test. The Senior Enchanter and the Knight-Commander were both there to participate, as well as three other templars. The young apprentice went up to the pedestal and touched the lyrium within to gain access to the Fade. After doing so she passed out and her mind went in to the Fade. One of the young templars stood guard beside her, holding his sword ready just incase she would fail her Harrowing and become an abomination. Time passed by, an hour. The young templar stood his ground, focusing on his task as he had been trained. A light shimmered around the young mage and the templar gripped his sword tighter. The young woman's eyes fluttered as she returned to her own body, the Senior Enchanter went up to the woman who was now asleep.

"She passed the Harrowing." The man said after checking her.

"Stand down, Cullen. You did well." Said the Knight-Commander to the templar who lowered his sword and took a deep breath. It was over for this time, another mage passed the test and no abominations this time.

"You may take her down now" Said the Knight-Commander to the two remaining templars who picked her up on a board and carried her out. But as the Senior Enchanter, Knight-Commander and the templar Cullen were turning away from the pedestal to go after the to other templars, the remaining lyrium in the pedestal started to glow with at bright blue light.

"What in the world..." They had to turn their eyes away from the light. The templar Cullen squeezed together his eyes in order to see through the bright light and saw something forming in the light, but he wasn't sure, and had to turn his gaze away when blue lightning started to cross over the room.

The lightning and light stopped as quick as it had come. The three men were in chock and when they started to move they looked around to see if anything changed. On the floor, not far away from the pedestal,was a young woman lying on her side with her knees brought up to her chest and her arm folded tight on her torso. Her white, long hair was spread over her and she only had on a thin, silky-like dress in a light-blue color. Cullen was the first to raise to his feet and go near the creature that looked like a young woman. For all he knew she could be a demon from the Fade. When she moved and sat up a few things happened fast. The Knight-Commander yelled at Cullen to 'Strike it down!', Cullen lifted his sword to strike the being down and the young woman turned her face up towards him. Cullen struck his sword down, a small part of is mind were surprised, he did not expect demon to look that way. The young woman's crystal blue eyes widened with surprise and then horror.

"No!" She yelled and held up her hand as she turned her face away. The sword was already falling and were not going to change it course. But when the sword meet her hand there was an instant blue light and the two were separated by a blast. They were thrown to each part of the room, as far away from each other as possible. The young woman had passed out while the young templar felt numbed.

"What happened?!" It was Knight-Commanders voice but Cullen heard it as if it was far away and that he had something in his ears making the mans voice blurred and hard to understand.

"I do not know, Gregoir," that was the Senior Enchanters voice "but it was interesting."

"Interesting?! How can you call that interesting? It knocked us out. It is dangerous!"

"Wait, Gregoir! Don't be foolish. Even you must sense that she is not an abomination, nor a demon."

"Foolish?! You call me foolish?"

"Do you sense any demon activity from her, Gregoir?" Said the Senior Enchanter again.

"That doesn't prove anything. It is dangerous. Maker knows what it can do when it wakes up."

"We do not know what she is, were she's from or even what she is. Don't you think that it worth investigating? It's something we have never seen before!"

"I must object, Irwing! We can put the hole Tower in danger!"

"With you and all the templars around?"

"It did just knocked out one of our templars!"

Irwing held up his hand in a gesture that he had given up.

"I understand you. Gregoir. It's you area of expertise, but I still remain confident that she is not a demon."

Gregoir saw after Irwing who crossed the floor to Cullen to tend to any injuries the young templar may have gotten after the blow. The Knight-Commander looked over at the being that looked like a young woman. Her hair was spread like a fan over her face and around her. It looked as if she was sleeping. Gregoir had to reluctantly admit that he did not sense any demon activity from the woman, surprisingly was that he did not sense any magic at all from her, which was odd thinking of what just happened a moment before.

"The Chantry wants to hear about this. For now it lives. But I want guards at all time and it locked up in a cellar below ground. And no one, and I mean no one, is to hear about this. Do you understand, Irving?"

"What of the young templar?" Another silence.

"Only he and another templar is to know about this, they are to stand guard."

"That is wise. How do we get her and the young templar down without anyone noticing, I wonder..."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The next coming hours were hectic. They manage to get the young woman to a cell below ground, a part of the Tower that was almost never used. Gregoir took out another templar he knew he could trust to keep his silence and that never falter in his duties. No one in the Tower knew the events that had happened just hours before. An urgent message were sent to the Chantry, Irwing searched the Towers library and his personal library in order to find if something similar had happened before and Gregoir were waiting for word from the Chantry as well as seeing over the daily reports. Cullen on the other hand was waking up in the infirmary, he was debriefed when he woke up by Gregoir and then set to work as soon as he was well. The young woman on the other hand slept. She slept for two hole days before she awoke the first time.

"I will go get Gregoir." said the other Templar, leaving the young woman and Cullen alone. She looked around her cell with curiosity and with an unsure look in her face. Cullen held one hand on his sword as he watched the young woman. She brushed her long, white hair from her shoulder and sat on the side of the bed with her bear feet on the stone floor. The young woman had fair skin, almost pale, and Cullen noticed, to his surprise, that she seemed to have a slight glow around her. He blinked a few times to see if he was right, but the glow was gone and she looked at him. They stared at each other for a second or to. He saw that she recognized him and she got a scared look in her eyes. She climbed in to the corner of her bed and curled up the sheet around her. He tried not to feel sorry for her, after all, she could be a demon or an abomination. 'Dangerous' had Gregoir said. But he couldn't help but feel guilty over that look in her face. After all, he had caused it. Cullen battle within himself if he should say something or not.

"D-don't be af-fraid..." The woman became even smaller and dragged the sheet up to her eyes. Cullen sighed and turned away just as the Knight-Commander turned around the corner with the other templar and the Senior Enchanter behind him.

"So it is awake." Said Gregoir and looked at the young woman curled up in the corner of the cell. Her eyes were flickering between the men, she did not know what was happening.

She did not remember anything about anything. Not who she was, where she came from or anything important about herself. Only a dream, or perhaps a dream within a dream... Or maybe not a dream? She did not know. It had seemed real and was the only thing she knew so she held on to it as tight as she could, repeating it in her mind to get every detail stuck in her memory.

Her dream had started with images, shapes and sounds she could not describe and could not control. It came at her in rapid speed, she could not hang on to any of them to take a closer look. Then, everything went black. How long it was so, she could not say. But it wasn't an unpleasant place. She could have stayed there without a thought or any longing for anything else. Then there was a bright blue light, the form was always shifting and within the blue was a shape she never could see clearly.

"Don't be afraid." The voice could only be described as calm, filled with the promise of hopes and dreams.

"There is a war coming and it will determent the destiny of this world." Small flashes of possible futures flashed by her in high speed, but they all ended the same. The flashes stopped as soon as the voice spoke again.

"The future is never written in stone, but some things are harder to change then others. That what you saw, will happen. The choices to avoid it are long passed. Can the world be saved or will it perish? What has to be sacrificed in the process? No one knows." She felt a warmth being wrapped around her and she felt completely calm.

"I will give the world Hope. I can't decide the fate of the world, nor yours. But I give this to the world and hope that the right choices will be made. Go with my blessing. Go with Hope." And as soon as the last words faded away she saw a bright blue light, she was filled with it and the world around her shifted. When she woke up the rest had happened. She was now locked up without knowing how she got here or why they put her here. They frightened her, they were strangers. And that young man... She looked down on his sword. He had not hesitated in killing her, for no reason. What kind of people were they? Were everyone like that? If that were the case...

"So, what have we here?" The elder man in the armor came in to the room followed by another man in a robe. She was surprised by the voice and looked up as the two men walked in. How did she know words? Had she learned them somewhere or were they simply there? She felt puzzled by this and realize that was just the start of the questions of 'How?'.

"Well, speak up!" She didn't like his tone of voice.

"Perhaps a more soothing approach is more..." Started the man in the robe.

"I decide how to talk to it, Irwin!" The man said.

"I ask again, who, what and were did you come from?!"

"I..." She caught a bit, not used to using her voice "I don't know..."

"You don't know? Is that answer to all the questions?" She nodded. "How convenient..." She looked down, ashamed.

"Gregoir..." The armored man looked at Irwin and they looked at each other for a second.

"Very well..." Said the robed man and sat down on the only chair in the room.

"I-..." She stuttered

"Well?" Gregoir crossed his arms over his torso.

"I do remember something. But it was more like a...dream." She looked at the armored man.

"Well, go on then." He answered impatient. She told them the dream from beginning to end as she remembered it. When she was finished the two men looked at her with disbelief.

"The worlds end?"

"So you think you were brought here to save the world?" Irwin asked. She tilted her head.

"Not exactly, more... Give it hope."

"What does that even mean; 'Give it hope'?" Gregoir snorted.

"As it means to all of us, I presume." Answered the robed man.

"Humph" Said Gregoir, deep in thought.

"We, will be back." Said Gregoir abruptly, surprising her and Irwin. The left her cell with only the templars as guard outside.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

She sat on her bed and looked after the men as they disappeared around the corner. What had just happened? Was it a good or bad thing that they left? She couldn't decide. With a sigh she lied down and turned her back against her guards.

Irwing and Gregoir walked in silence as they walked back, each in their own deep thoughts. When they reach Irwings office they started talking. What they could not decide was if she was a good thing or a bad thing. Was she a demon, a spirit or simply human that had passed thru the Fade? All were possible even thou all of them seemed impossible. The thing that they could decide on were that she were to remain in her cell until they got word from the Chantry. The letter were on it's way to the Lothering Chantry.

But the two men had soon there thoughts on other matter when a young apprentice mange to escape with the help of a Chantry initiate and a mage who recently went through her Harrowing. The Chantry initiate were sent away to Aeonar, a prison, but the young mage were sent of to the Grey Wardens. Rumor said that the young apprentice that had escape had used blood magic, a forbidden art.

Even the young woman heard of this matter when the two guards outside her door were speaking of it. When speaking of the young mage who went away with the Grey Wardens she noticed something. The young man, called Cullen, seamed to be discomfort. No, sad. His appearance never changed when speaking of the event, but it was as if she could sense the feeling from him. She could also sense the disgust from both men when speaking of the blood mage. It was new to her. Was it like that for everyone? She tried concentrating on their feelings without dragging their attention to her, but it was little that she could sense. Perhaps it was only clear, strong feelings she could sense? Her head was hurting and she pulled away. Perhaps it was nothing.

The letter from the Chantry arrived the same time as the letter from the young mage who went with the Grey Wardens. The Chantry was concern and very interested in the new find and would send someone as soon as possible. Gregoir was not sure if they were taking it seriously or not but was happy someone were coming. Irwing were more interested in the letters from some mages, with some templars, who had traveled to Ostagar, as well s reading the letter from his former apprentice. She were now on her way to becoming a Grey Warden and were hoping to help the army in the fight against the darkspawns. He prayed for their safety as did many other in the Tower

The two men came down together or one by one, and asked her questions. She answered as best she could, but it was little information she could offer. Irwing gave her the name Hope, which Gregoir was not happy with, but let it be. She, Hope, did not show any more signs of magic, which perhaps were good for the time being. The Senior-Enchanter enhanced the cell with magic and the two templar guards were now taking shifts. The excitement of being put to this special task lost is charm after a wile. There were no one to talk to and noting happened were they were. The young woman had gotten some robes, shoes and some books to pass the time. The books were carefully picked by Irwing. They had text and paintings of the Fade and different creatures, and there were some book containing of the different fauna in Ferelden, all to trigger her memories, he hoped. But it did not happened. She looked in the books, very interested by each side. Her fingers followed the words on the pages and she carefully watch each paintings. It was Cullen who noticed it first. He was a bit bored after standing so long at the cell, he had tried to recite the Chant of Light to himself, but not even that could make that gloomy place any better. Cullen looked, very discreetly, at the young woman sitting on her bed with her legs crossed and a open book in her lap. Her fingers followed the lines of a painting before switching page. Her eyes looked at the words, her finger followed them but her eyes drawn to the painting instead. He looked at her eyes as she looked at the words again. She only looked at the words, never reading them. Cullen, to his surprise, realized that she could not read. And as soon as he had make that discovery, she looked up and met his eyes. She blushed and put the book together before looking away, taking another book. Cullen looked away. She couldn't read and yet she carefully watched the words. Was she pretending that she could read or just wishing that she could read? He wanted to ask, but every time he opened his mouth she turned away from him. That she even looked at him was an improvement.

Cullen told this piece of information to his superior, Gregoir, who did not seem to surprised to learn that.

"The only important thing is that she looks through the books just in case she remembers anything." Was the only answer Cullen got, but he did notice that he called Hope 'her' instead of 'it'.


	4. Chapter 4

_Hi everyone :) If you feel like the story is going to fast (or maybe to slow) let me know!_

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**Chapter 4**

It was frustrating. Hope knew that those forms on the side had to stand for something. She tried to understand, see some meaning to them turning the book upside down and to the side but it only made the forms change. They did not mean anything. She did not want to admit it, not to the man called Irwing, who brought the books, and neither to Gregoir, who were asking all the questions. It was not lying, she could not tell them something she did not know. Hope had noticed that her guards had looked at her strangely when she had turned the book and did not do that again. She wanted to ask them, so she gathered up her courage and asked one of them what was in the book. The guard looked at her and said, rather sharp, that it was information and that she should read it. Hope nodded and felt dumber then ever. Now what? She couldn't ask the other guard, she was still a bit scared of him.

Hope were sitting on her bed, looking in one of her favorite books. It had many pictures of flowers, things she never had seen but longed to do so. Her eyes went from the page to the guard standing outside. This time is was Cullen, the one who had tried to struck her down. Her eyes went to his sword and down to her book. Hope had tried to sense feelings, like that other time, but she could not. It was like all that was gone. Perhaps it had not existed at all, for all she got when she tried was a headache. But now, of all time, she hoped more then ever that it would work. She tried, but nothing, she stopped before the headache took hold of her.

*Just ask him!* She banned herself. It wasn't like he was going anywhere and she had to know! Hope looked up, just to find him looking at her with his eyebrows frowned. She froze and forgot was she had planned to ask him. He looked surprised, blushed and looked away. A few moment of awkward silence followed. Hope was tempted to look down in her book again, but instead of following her instinct she surprised herself.

"Excuse me." Her voice sounded very small, a reflection of what she felt. Her guard looked at her, surprised to be spoken to. He wasn't sure she actually had spoken and waited to see if she was going to say something more.

"I-i was...I was wondering if..." She trailed of, blushed and looked down in her book. Cullen was surprised, she had talked. Was it a good or a bad thing? He waited for her to speak again but she had hid her face behind a curtain of white hair.

"Y-yes?" He asked eventually. She saw her curl her shoulders up a bit before speaking.

"These flowers..." She held up the book and looked over it at him while pointing at a red flower. "What are they called?" He leaned a bit closer to see better.

"Roses."

"Roses." She repeated to her self and pointed at another flower. "And that one?"

"Al-also roses, just, emm, a different sort." He answered. She looked puzzled and took down the book to look at the flower she pointed at. She turned her head a bit to the side.

"Make sense..." She mumbled to her self. Cullen were almost sure were she meant by this.

"You...You can't read?" He asked and saw her cheeks flushed yet again. She slowly nodded.

"I.. I try." She answered, carefully not to look at him. Cullen knew that reading took awhile to learn and he did not know how much time she had.

"How do I learn to read?" She asked and looked at him. He looked away.

"Practice. It... takes a while"

"Oh..." Hope looked down in to her book thinking the same thing he had. How much time did she have?

Higher up in the Tower, Gregoir and Irwing had a discussion. What to do while they waited. She had not showed any magic abilities nor any demon activity. Irwing thought that perhaps the best thing to do were to let the young woman out of her cell to get a bit of fresh air. Perhaps seeing things would make her remember something. They had not gotten anything from her so far, only her 'dream' as she called it, and that was not much. The books she had read had not lead to anything but more questions, on her part. Gregoir on the other hand wanted her to remain in her cell, she was to dangerous to be let out. Even though she had not shown any signs of magic, that could all be a trick from her part. Maker knows what she could do if set free. I she were to be let out of her cell before anyone from the Chantry arrived, it would be as a Tranquil. So, the young woman remained in her cell, with only her books and guards as company.

One day she heard her guards talking to each other as they were chancing shifts with each other. The blood mage trail had disappeared and another mage had fled the Circle. Apparently it was a mage who were quite known for his escapes. His name were Anders. The two guards seemed to take the situation seriously but they joked about it at the same time. The mage were always caught and brought back within ha few days and got his punishment. And yet, within a few months he would try the same again and the whole thing would start all over. The main concern now were to put the mage when he came back, the cell usually used for him were occupied by Hope. But that was a problem for the Knight-Commander, not for the two templars.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Chaos. The fighting at Ostagar had not gone as planned, the man who were suppose to help the Kings army, fled the field and many were slaughtered. Word came to the Tower soon after Lotherling were destroyed by darkspawn. The Templars and mages who survived at Ostagar came back, most of them wounded. And that someone who were suppose to come from the Chantry? He or she were lost on the way, most likely killed by darkspawn.

Hope's fate was no uncertain. She started to dislike her cell. It was small and cold and it never happened anything. Sometimes she could get Cullen to talk to her, maybe sometimes even read to her. But that had stopped a while ago. She had sat in her cell waiting for him, she had gotten a new book an was eager to ask him about something. Hope had sense him before seeing him. His feelings hit her like a strong wave. Grief, sorrow and anger. It was just exploding inside her. She had thought she had just imagining that she had felt that the first time around, but now it was there again. Hope saw him turn the corner and he did not look so much different. He was a bit pale, dark circles under his eyes and looked tired. The other guard talked to him, not so she could hear it. Cullen nodded and the other guard left. Hope followed him with her eyes, seeking contact, but he was avoiding her. He did not speak to her, even thou she tried to start a conversation. His silence held on for days. Until one day.

"Cullen? What has happened?" He remained silence.

"I know there is something" Her frustration was growing stronger. "I know there is something because Irwing and Gregoir has not been down for days and you are not speaking to me. What is going on?"

"We lost." His voice were low and he was still turned away from her.

"The war?" She remembered him talking about something about a war. Hope was not sure what a war meant, only that their was a lot of fighting. Another thing she had never seen. He nodded to answer her question.

"I'm sorry." It was silence for a while.

"We lost many, only a few returned." She felt another small wave of feelings from him, mostly sadness.

"I'm sorry. Did you lose anyone... close?" She dead herself to ask. This time the wave was larger and held more feelings; longing, sadness, grief and anger. He saw his jaw tense, but he did not answer. She did not expect any either.

"I'm sorry..."

"You said that already." He said harshly, still not looking at her. She opened her mouth to yet again apologies but stopped herself.

"She was killed." He mumbled. Hope listened, she believe he was mostly talking to himself rather then her.

"Only two survived and she was not one of them." He seemed sad. Then he clenched her fist.

"I will not speak of her. Maker knows my sin." Then there was silence. Hope was confused. Who was... were she? Hope was sad that she had died even thou she did not know her. What did he mean by 'sin'? What was a sin? She wanted to ask, but remained silence. That was for another time.

It had gone a few days now and he still had not talked to her. Right now, he was guarding her. The silence broke when the other guard came running down the corridor.

"Cullen! You have to help!"

"What has happened?!" Cullen grab his sword and Hope put her book aside.

"Blood mages! Abomination, in the Tower!" Cullen went all white. Emotions were thick in the air, confusing Hope.

"We have to go!"

"What of the prisoner?" said the other guard. Cullen looked at her then back up the corridor.

"Magic protects the cell, she should be fine. And beside, no one knows she is here. Come on!" The two men ran down the corridor and Hope felt stunned. Leave her here, alone?!

"Cullen!? Come back! Don't leave me here!" Hope jumped up from her bed and tried to grab the grid surrounding her cell, but felt a chock of electricity running up her hands and arms. She jumped back. She was trapped here.

"Come back, don't leave me!" Only silence answered her.


	6. Chapter 6

_Here is a new chapter, not a moment to soon :P_

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Chapter 6

Hope walked back and forth in her cell. How long had she been left alone, what was happening out there? Sometimes she could feel strings of feelings sipping down to her. Fear, hate, desire and madness. What were they doing up there? She stopped and looked up. Even if she could not see anything, she hoped she could. Whatever was going on up there it was not nice, but she had to know. Hope sighed and looked at her cell door. She wished it to swing open, but wishes were not enough. Sometimes it felt like the Tower was moving, shifting. She sat down on her bed and closed her eyes. Were she to be left her to die?

She did not have any food and only a small cup of water left. Her stomach protested now and then, her throat was dry but she didn't want to drink the water just yet. Were she to die from starvation, forgotten down here? Or were those that knew of her dead? Here she was, in 'safety' and who knows what was happening to the others upstairs. She wanted to help but she did not how. Fighting was not something she done before and the magic they spoke of was equally unfamiliar. Perhaps she where best here, out of their way.

Hope looked around her cell and noticed something strange. On the wall on her right, there seemed to be a black mark, running down from the ceiling to the middle of the wall. She blinked a few times, but it was still there, so she stood up and walked towards it. Hope reached out her hand to touch it, but before she did, she felt an instant wave of nausea and had to step back. Whatever it was, it was bad. Spewed out evil, hatred and fear. Thriving in it. She swallowed down her nausea and went as far away from it as possible.

The black were growing, reaching the floor and sipped through it to down below. Another thing that were happening was that the cells bars lost their faint glow sometimes. She did not notice it at first, then she thought she was making believe but after a few times with closer proximity to each other, Hope believed what se saw. Why was it happening? What is because of the mark that were growing on the wall or were the magic getting weaker? Were Irwing in danger? The glow flickered a few times and then stopped completely. She went up to the bars and touched it. Nothing. No electricity, just cold metal. Hope went back to her desk and drank the last of the water, she were not coming back here any time soon. She pulled down the handle. At first the door did not move. Had she made a mistake, was she still trapped? Desperately she pushed her weight against the door and it went up with a small protest. She was free! Hope looked back in to her cell, the books were spread on the bottom half of her bed. Should she take them with her? She stepped in to the room and then stopped. No, they would slow her down. Beside, she intended to come back for them later. She was only to see what had happened and see if she could find her guards, Gregoir and Irwing. And something to still her hunger. Beside, she did not want to spend another minute in the same room as that black, awful mark on the wall. And with that decided, she left the cell and walked down the corridor to the unknown.

As she walked down the corridor she came to a crossroad, left or right? She followed her instinct and walked in to the left corridor. On the walls, she noticed, there were more of those black spots running down from the sealing. Hope tried to walk as far away from them as possible. She walked fast, and then all of a sudden, she stood in front of a door. It was slightly opened so she pushed it a bit before sneaking out. She came in to a large, empty, room. But it wasn't quiet. She could here sound of fighting, but she couldn't determinant from were. Hope looked to her right and then to her left. The room looked alike on both sides, both had doors. She started do walk left, then changed her mind and walked right. The sounds of fighting were coming from the left. She walked through the door and walked on.


End file.
